---
title: Grammar & mechanics
description: Basic grammar guidelines for writing at Kiwi.com.
redirect_from:
  - /content/grammar-and-mechanics/
---

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debugging the issue than allowing this file to be linted given how unfrequently it's been updated. -->

These guidelines follow our [Voice & tone](/kiwi-use/content/voice-and-tone/) principles and help us keep writing across Kiwi.com consistent. Use them to check on details (like spelling) when you write in our official language, American English, and save energy to focus on getting your content right.

## Active and passive voice

Write in the **active voice** whenever you can.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- (You can) download your boarding pass.
- We added your baggage.

</Do>

<Dont>

- Your boarding pass can be downloaded.
- Baggage has been added.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

Use passive voice only when you want to avoid blaming someone or when the subject is less important than what happened.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do, depending on context">

- It’s not possible to book this flight. / We couldn’t book this flight.
- Baggage is included. / Booking includes baggage.

</Guideline>

## Spelling

Kiwi.com’s official language is American English, so use American spelling.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- canceled (but cancellation)
- traveler
- apologize

</Do>

<Dont>

- cancelled
- traveller
- apologise

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

Always include diacritics if they're there:

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Oliver Dlouhý, Petra Vaškových

</Do>

<Dont>

- Oliver Dlouhy, Petra Vaskovych

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

## Contractions

Use contractions freely to [sound natural](/kiwi-use/content/voice-and-tone/empathetic/#use-words-and-structures-youd-use-in-speaking) and avoid being robotic or overly formal.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- I’ll check it for you.

</Do>

<Dont>

- I will check it for you.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

But there are some exceptions where the full form is appropriate. For example, if you need to stress something **is not** possible or to be more formal.

## Abbreviations and acronyms

Only use common abbreviations and acronyms.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- UK
- UTC
- COVID-19

</Guideline>

If something isn’t common, spell it out or explain it first.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- carrier reservation number (PNR)

</Guideline>

## Capitalization

### Sentence case

Use **sentence case** in all of your writing. Capitalize only the first word in sentences, headings, buttons, emails, etc. Don't capitalize after a dash or colon in titles or lists.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Manage my trip / Manage trip
- Your booking is confirmed
- Reminder: add your details

</Do>

<Dont>

- Manage My Trip
- Your Booking Is Confirmed
- Reminder: Add Your Details

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Title case

Capitalize **proper nouns, legal terms**, and **product names** according to their own rules, and also **names of sections or buttons** when referring to them.

<Guideline type="do" title="Brand names">

- easyJet
- Wizz Air
- British Airways

</Guideline>

<Guideline type="do" title="Legal terms">

- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy

</Guideline>

<Guideline type="do" title="Kiwi.com product and feature names">

- Kiwi.com Guarantee
- Kiwi.com Credit
- Nomad

</Guideline>

Check our [glossary](/kiwi-use/content/glossary/) for a full list of Kiwi.com product-related names.

<Guideline type="do" title="Referring to sections or buttons">

- Click **Refunds & cancellations**

</Guideline>

### All caps

Don’t use all caps unless they’re a part of the design and **never use them to emphasize a point**.

- To emphasize text, use **bold** instead.

## Plural vs. singular

Use plural by default if there can't be multiple versions of the copy.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Carriers don’t offer any refunds.
- Your boarding passes will be ready soon.

</Do>

<Dont>

- Carrier(s) don’t/doesn’t offer any refunds.
- Your boarding pass/es will be ready soon.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

If it’s important to specifically mention that there may be one or multiple items, use the phrase “one or more”.

## Punctuation

### Ampersands

Use “and” instead of “&” in longer texts as it improves [readability](https://readabilityguidelines.co.uk/grammar-points/ampersands/) and therefore is more [inclusive](/kiwi-use/content/voice-and-tone/inclusive/).

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- You’ll need a visa and a PCR test to travel to your destination.

</Do>

<Dont>

- You’ll need a visa & a PCR test to travel to your destination.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

But there are a few exceptions if you need to save space, especially in titles and buttons.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- Refunds & cancellations
- Help & support
- Overview & payment

</Guideline>

### Commas

Use commas to mimic speech — to add a pause where it’d naturally occur or to separate or highlight parts of a sentence.

Don’t use commas if they don’t serve a purpose, for example after “please” or before and after “unfortunately“ in the middle of a sentence.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Please add your details.
- We unfortunately can’t help.
- Hi John,…

</Do>

<Dont>

- Please, add your details.
- We, unfortunately, can’t help.
- Hi, John,…

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

If you need to list multiple items, use a serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma).

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Plane, bus, and train

</Do>

<Dont>

- Plane, bus and train

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

The only exception is when you use an ampersand.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Changes, refunds & cancellations

</Do>

<Dont>

- Changes, refunds, & cancellations

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Exclamation points

Use exclamation points sparingly, and only when they serve a purpose — when you talk about a really exciting thing.

Never use multiple exclamation points in a row, and avoid using them in longer sentences altogether.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Your booking is ready!

</Do>

<Dont>

- You saved a new password!
- We have tickets for €5! Book now!!!

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Interrobang, ellipsis, and other unusual punctuation

The rule of thumb for using unusual punctuation is: don’t. If you do, you should make a case for it.

<Guideline type="dont" title="Don't">

- Don’t want to miss this deal?!
- Check this out...

</Guideline>

### Symbols and spaces

If an item has a symbol or an official abbreviation, use it instead of spelling it out.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- ×
- kg, cm
- ºC, ºF
- €, $

</Do>

<Dont>

- x
- kilogram, centimeter
- Celsius, Fahrenheit
- EUR, USD

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

Don’t use spaces between single numbers and the things you’re counting unless it helps with readability.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- 8h 30min, &lt; 48h
- 7kg
- 3×
- 0ºC
- €20
- 40 × 56 × 29 cm

</Do>

<Dont>

- 8 h 30 min, &lt; 48 h
- 7 kg
- 3 ×
- 0 ºC
- € 20
- 40×56×29cm

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Full stops

Use full stops (periods) only at the ends of complete sentences. Never use them at the ends of headers or buttons.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- You can find us at www.kiwi.com.
- Header: Continue your search
- Button: Find out more

</Do>

<Dont>

- You can find us at www.kiwi.com
- Header: Continue your search.
- Button: Find out more.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Quotation marks & apostrophes

Always use curly quotation marks and apostrophes.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- <div style={{ fontSize: "28px" }}> &rsquo; </div>
- <div style={{ fontSize: "28px" }}> &ldquo; &rdquo; </div>

</Do>

<Dont>

- <div style={{ fontSize: "28px" }}> ' </div>
- <div style={{ fontSize: "28px" }}> " " </div>

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

Don’t use quotation marks to refer to parts of the interface (buttons, menus, options) — use bold instead.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Click **Refunds & cancellations**

</Do>

<Dont>

- Click "Refunds & cancellations"

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Dashes and hyphens

Use a **hyphen (-)** for compound words. Don’t use spaces before or after.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- 1-hour flight
- co-traveler

</Guideline>

Use an **en-dash (–)** without spaces to talk about ranges of numbers (like times or dates).

But when you write about locations, replace the en-dash with an arrow (**→, ⇄**) wherever possible and use spaces before and after the arrow.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- 12:30–14:35
- 1–2 days
- But: Prague → Barcelona

</Guideline>

Use an **em-dash (—)** instead of commas or colons. Use spaces before and after.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- We checked you in — now you can download your boarding passes.

</Guideline>

### Emojis

Use emojis sparingly to attract your reader’s attention or emphasize a (positive) feeling, but never to replace words or as the only way to express emotion.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Widely recognized
- Work well across devices and cultures
- Visible in both dark and light modes

</Do>

<Dont>

- Emoticons :(
- Multiple emojis in a row
- Emojis with sexual innuendo
- Emojis that might be considered too emotional, personal, or unprofessional
- Emojis that represent human figures, groups of people, or human body parts

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

_These rules were inspired by [emoji guidelines by Content Design London](https://readabilityguidelines.co.uk/images/emojis/)._

Add an emoji at the end of the sentence to highlight the whole message. If you absolutely need to highlight a particular word, put the emoji after it.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- Your booking is confirmed! 🎉

</Guideline>

## Dates, numbers, and measurements

### Numbers

Write all numbers as numerals for better readability.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- You have 2 hours to transfer.

</Do>

<Dont>

- You have two hours to transfer.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

When you write about numerous people or animals, always write thousands, millions, or billions in full. For anything else, M or B is ok, depending on how it reads.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- 60.5 million passengers
- We saved $60B.

</Guideline>

Use commas to separate thousands units.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- 1,000

</Do>

<Dont>

- 1.000

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Date

Write date as **day-of-week, month, day, year**. When the space is limited, use abbreviations or numerals.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- Friday, October 26, 2018
- Fri Oct 26 to Sun Oct 28
- Fri Oct 26–Sun Oct 28
- 10/26–10/28 (❗Only as the last resort when the space is extremely limited)

</Guideline>

### Time

Use the 24-hour clock and UTC time zone to refer to the time in general.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- 14:59 UTC

</Guideline>

Use an **en-dash (–)** when referring to a duration in time.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- 14:00–16:30

</Guideline>

When describing a length of time, use abbreviations.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- 8h 30min

</Guideline>

### Currency

Use the currency symbol instead of language code.

Place the symbols €, $, and £ before the price, without a space. For other currencies, follow the language standards.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- €20 (but 20 EUR)
- $100 (but 100 USD)
- 83¢
- 3200Kč

</Do>

<Dont>

- 20 €
- 100 $
- ¢83
- Kč3200

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

## Lists

Use lists to present steps or sets of information ideally consisting of 3 or 5 bullet points — if you have more points, consider a table.

Make sure that the items on the list have a parallel structure and context, especially if you create a list of pros and cons.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Checked baggage
- Priority boarding
- Free check-in

</Do>

<Dont>

- Checked baggage
- priority boarding
- You'll get free check-in

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

Align your capitalization and punctuation as well.

- If an item on the list is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and add a full stop.
- If an item isn’t a complete sentence, don’t use punctuation, but capitalize the first word of each bullet.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- We'll check you in for free.
- Free check-in

</Do>

<Dont>

- we'll check you in for free
- free check-in

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

If you can't use an **ordered** list because of space restrictions and you need to describe the full path to get somewhere, use a single right-facing chevron (&gt;) and bold clickable UI elements.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- **Profile**&gt;**Settings**&gt;**App preferences**&gt;**Currency**

</Guideline>

## Pronouns

### Talking to readers

When you talk to your readers, address them directly and use the second person — **you, your**.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- You can book a new trip.

</Do>

<Dont>

- It’s possible to book a new trip. / The customer can book a new trip.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Talking as readers

When your readers need to perform an action, like click on a button, choose an answer to a question we’ve asked, or provide legal consent, use the first person — **me, I, my**.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- Manage my trip / Manage trip
- I agree to these Terms & Conditions.

</Do>

<Dont>

- Manage your trip
- You should agree to these Terms & Conditions.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Talking about someone

When you refer to someone in general, or they haven’t disclosed their gender, use singular **they, their**.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- One of the travelers hasn't added **their** details for online check-in.

</Do>

<Dont>

- One of the travelers hasn't added **his/her** details for online check-in.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

### Talking about us — Kiwi.com

When you refer to Kiwi.com, use **we, us, our** as default unless you have to specifically stress our name for clarity or branding purposes.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- We can offer you the best deals.
- All our messages are also available in your Kiwi.com inbox.

</Do>

<Dont>

- Kiwi.com can offer you the best deals.
- All our messages are also available in your inbox. (Can be confused with email inbox.)

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

## Sentence structure

Write **short sentences** and put essential info first. Short sentences improve readability. They’re more powerful. They value your reader’s time.

Long sentences that run on and on and are full of commas, colons, and semicolons — and many different clauses — are really confusing and awkward to read for even the strongest readers — just imagine receiving an email with sentences stretching through multiple paragraphs, as long and winding as this one; it’s an impossible read that most people just can’t get through and either scan through it or skip it completely on a busy day — and let’s be honest, every day is a busy day, especially when traveling.

Use a text editor like [hemingwayapp.com](https://hemingwayapp.com/) if you’re not sure how complex your text is.

## Word choice

Always use words and phrases that are easily understandable. Don’t use extra words that don’t serve a purpose.

💡 Check our [glossary](/kiwi-use/content/glossary/) for the list of common words we use across [Kiwi.com](http://Kiwi.com)\_.

<GuidelinesSideBySide>

<Do>

- buy
- speed up
- We'll need your details.

</Do>

<Dont>

- purchase
- expedite
- Please be advised that we will need your details.

</Dont>

</GuidelinesSideBySide>

When possible, use informal short forms of the words depending on the context and space. Short forms sound more natural and are especially useful for buttons.

<Guideline type="do" title="Do">

- info / information
- OK / okay

</Guideline>
